


come along with me

by letthecitybreathe



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, F/F, NarutoSS2018, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-03
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-10-03 06:35:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17278901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/letthecitybreathe/pseuds/letthecitybreathe
Summary: The early morning light turns Ino’s hair into spun gold, and Sakura feels a bit breathless as she watches her walk away. It would be so easy to ditch everything, to spend the day with Ino. So easy that Sakura needs to close her eyes and remind herself of how hard she worked to get here.or, ino tries to get sakura to take a day off





	come along with me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [an_actual_ocean](https://archiveofourown.org/users/an_actual_ocean/gifts).



> for an-actual-ocean through the naruto secret santa event! i'm really bad at writing straight modern/college aus, so i went with a modern fantasy/magic college au! i really hope you like it, and sorry again for how late this is!
> 
> i wanted to post this before my flight but panicked on the title, so it's just from the closing song from adventure time |D also since i wanted it posted as soon as possible i didn't have time to proofread, so i'll try to go back through and tidy it up on sunday! in the meantime, feel free to let me know about any obvious typos

“Do you want to get coffee today?” Ino asks lazily, after they’ve both finished their post workout showers. Her hair is still damp in a pretty loose braid tossed over her shoulder, and there’s nothing Sakura wants to do more than ditch classes and sip cappuccino’s and spend the whole time trying to build up the nerve to hold Ino’s hand.

“I can’t,” Sakura says, and it takes everything in her to turn Ino down. Ino’s her best friend in the whole world, and that far outweighs the stupid, pesky crush she’s had since freshmen year of high school when Ino dragged her to Victoria’s Secret so they could shop for bras together. Ino’s her best friend, and she’s been so _busy_ lately. The only time they get together now is for their morning workout. “I’ve got –”

“I know, I know,” Ino says. “But you’ve gotta promise you’ll let me know next time you have a day off, alright, forehead girl?” She flicks Sakura’s forehead lightly before brushing her bangs out of her face.

“Of course,” Sakura says. “I’ll see you tomorrow, right?”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Ino says, and she raises her hand in a quick farewell wave before heading off to her morning classes.

The early morning light turns Ino’s hair into spun gold, and Sakura feels a bit breathless as she watches her walk away. It would be so _easy_ to ditch everything, to spend the day with Ino. So easy that Sakura needs to close her eyes and remind herself of how hard she worked to get here.

 

For the first time since they started meeting for lunch and attempting to decipher Uzumaki Mito’s seals, Tenten does not immediately jump immediately into which part of the seal she’s struggling with. Usually when Sakura joins her it’s always, _‘I don’t know what this part does,’_ or _‘I’m stuck right here,’_ or _‘I want to take a scalpel and dissect Mito’s fucking brain so I can figure out what this entire seal does without getting a lab reserved for long enough to apply it safely.’_

Instead, Sakura is greeted with Tenten staring at her blankly for a second, and then down at her phone, and then back up at Sakura.

“Can I help you?” she asks as she sits down, grabbing for whichever seal is closes and she unzips her backpack to pull out her notes.

“I think I am sick,” Tenten says plainly, matter of fact, with the inflection of someone who is clearly pretending to be sick.

“No, you’re not,” Sakura says, because it’s all she can think to say in response to Tenten’s terrible acting.

“You don’t know that,” Tenten replies. “Maybe it’s an invisible illness.”

“Invisible illnesses aren’t real, that’s just a fairy tale. I wrote an entire essay on it. You should read it,” Sakura says as flips her notebook open to the nearest blank page.

Tenten is now gesturing very wildly. Sakura’s no mime expert, but it looks like Tenten is saying _“Cancel plan failed execution by cake do not proceed.”_ That, or Tenten is _really_ committed to playing up the invisible illness schtick, despite the fact that Sakura knows, definitively, that they do not exist.

“Are you done yet?” Sakura asks.

“Almost,” Tenten says, and goes on to make several more gestures that Sakura doesn’t have the energy to translate. “Alright, I’m done now. I’ve been stuck at this part right here, it looks like there’s a second matrix _inside_ the overall matrix but I don’t know what it does…”

 

Something is very, very wrong today. Maybe Tenten unsafely activated one of the seals she was studying, or she didn’t manage to break out of that mild genjutsu Kurenai sensei cast in class today, or something else equally as bad.

Usually, once she gets to the field, Sai’s already there. On a good day, he’s acting something like a normal person, and makes adequate small talk while they wait for everyone else. On a bad day he’s trying out one of those tips from the books about friendly relationships that he insists on reading, so Sakura focuses on going over notes or finishing homework.

Fifteen minutes after Sakura gets there, Naruto and Sasuke both arrive. Usually Sasuke’s dragging Naruto along, but sometimes they come separately. Still at the same time, though, because they’re never not absurdly in sync.

If it’s a very good day, Yamato sensei usually drags Kakashi sensei to their usual field around fifteen minutes after Sasuke and Naruto get there. On an average day, they both arrive half an hour after this. On a _bad_ day, Yamato sensei shows up half an hour after Sasuke and Naruto, and Kakashi sensei arrives a full hour and a half late and irritatingly avoids Sakura’s punch.

Today, Sakura is the last person to arrive at team training.

Sakura is _never_ the last person to arrive at team training.

She stands there for a second, perfectly still, staring at everyone to make sure it actually _is_ her team. Maybe they’re imposters?

“Is everyone feeling alright?” she asks slowly. “Any fevers? Concussions?”

“We’re all fine!” Naruto yells, just as loud as usual. “But are you okay? Do you need a day off? Maybe you should skip training today!”

“What–”

“Naruto’s right, Sakura,” Sai says. “You don’t look well.”

“I’m perfectly fi–”

“Maa, you’ve been working so hard, Sakura. You need to take care of yourself,” Kakashi sensei says from the ground, which he is laying on, with his book over his face.

“I don’t need a day off, you just don’t want to teach!”

“I’m with Kakashi senpai,” Yamato sensei says, staring firmly at the ground. “I think you should go home.”

“I’m not going anywhere except here, to _train_.” Sakura crosses her arms over her chest and glares at Sasuke, daring him to join in.

“Don’t look at me,” he says, throwing his hands up. “This wasn’t _my_ idea.”

“Come on,” Naruto whines as he attempts to make puppy eyes at her. “Maybe an hour break? You could go to your room, drink some champagne, watch a romantic movie…”

Sakura resolutely ignores him. “Sasuke, Tsunade said I needed to work on my agility and dodging. Can you try and hit me?”

Thankfully, he doesn’t even respond and just starts swinging.

It’s times like this she remembers why he was her compulsive heterosexual crush when they were kids.

 

There’s no more weirdness for the rest of the day, thankfully. She spends too much time on training and has to skip her shower in favor of eating a quick dinner

The apartment Sakura shares with Sasuke and Naruto is dark and empty when she gets back from her internship. Usually at least Sasuke is up this late, last minute cramming for some exam or finishing up a paper, but she’s greeted by complete silence.

She’s a bit relieved, honestly. She loves Naruto and Sasuke dearly, like the brothers she never had, but sometimes she needs to apartment to herself after a long day. And lately _every_ day has been long, minutes dragging on into hours. She loves learning and knows she’d fall apart without a tight schedule like she has, but sometimes it’s nice to have a break and to be able to write a paper without Sasuke’s music bleeding in from his room.

Naturally, just when she thinks she’ll have time to relax, she sees that the light under her door is on.

The light she _knows_ she turned off before heading to her internship.

As much as she wants to have faith in her roommates, she’s honestly, genuinely not one hundred percent sure they _wouldn’t_ break into her room. She likes to think Sasuke wouldn’t, at the least, but she has no doubt Naruto might.

At least now she has a good opportunity to prove that she’s strong enough to shatter all the bones in his arm.

“I swear to God, Naruto, if you’ve been going through my stuff –” she says, slamming the door open, only to stop in her tracks.

“Um,” Ino says from where she’s lounging on Sakura’s bed.

Sakura’s bed, which is covered in flower petals.

Which Ino is laying on, wearing some very thin and lacy lingerie.

“Oh my God.” Sakura falls back against the door, clutching her hand over her chest like some middle-aged southern woman.

“Definitely not Naruto,” Ino replies, giggling, because she has no sympathy at all.

“What are you doing here?” Sakura asks, and her voice only cracks a little bit, which she counts as a success.

“I’m seducing you,” Ino says in between her giggles. “Is it working?”

“You’re _killing_ me,” Sakura says as she _thunks_ her head against the door behind her. “You can’t just spring this on a girl out of nowhere! You could have said something, or –”

“Hey, Sakura, do you have time to get coffee today? How about tomorrow? We can go over your flashcards together. Do you want me to help you revise your essay?” Ino rolls her eyes, then smiles at Sakura in the way that means _‘sorry for teasing you, I love you’_.

“How was _I_ supposed to know you weren’t just being friendly? That’s totally normal friend stuff,” Sakura replies, crossing her arms against her chest.

“Come on, Forehead. You really think I offer to help _Shikamaru_ study?” Ino says, playing with the flower petals on Sakura’s bed.

“He’s a genius, Ino. He wouldn’t even need your help studying.” Sakura feels faintly hysterical. She doesn’t even know what they’re arguing about at this point. “Why would you even bring Shikamaru up if you’re trying to seduce me?”

This time Ino lets out a full laugh, a loud belly laugh that fills the room and makes Sakura feel a bit like a helium balloon.

“Shut up and let me seduce you,” Ino says, laughing her way through the words. “And also maybe loan me a jacket, because it’s _cold_ in here and this bra does nothing to fight against the chill.”

Sakura bites her lip, tugs at it between her teeth. “I have an essay I need to write,” she says, and she absolutely does _not_ whine. She’s too old to whine over wanting to watch movies with her friend (girlfriend?) when she has work to do.

“That’s fine,” Ino says, standing up and stretching her arms over her head. “Do you want me to make tea?”

Sakura just blinks at her for a minute, because Ino really _is_ just wearing that lingerie, and there’s a difference between seeing that laying down and standing right in front of her. “Um. Tea would be nice?”

Ino laughs again, quieter this time, and it almost sounds like bells. “It’s a date, then,” she says, and kisses Sakura on the cheek.

 

(All things considered, it’s probably the best date Sakura’s ever been on.)

**Author's Note:**

> you can find me as [glitteratti](http://glitteratti.tumblr.com/) on tumblr!


End file.
